Under the Department are Administration and three assistant secretariats: Communications and Intergovernmental Affairs; Planning Services; and Strategic Development. The Department also is aided by the Patuxent River Commission and the Special Secretary.
The Commission also serves as the Tributary Strategy Team for the Patuxent Watershed, coordinating the Patuxent tributary strategy with the Patuxent River Policy Plan.
Thirty-four members constitute the Commission. Twenty-eight are appointed by the Governor to four-year terms. Six serve ex officio (Code State Finance and Procurement Article, secs. 5-812 through 5-816).
Under Communications and Intergovernmental Affairs are the Public Information Office, the Legislative Office, and four groups: Graphics and Production; Internet Information Services; Outreach; and Planning Research Services.
Planning Research Services is the legislatively mandated repository for general, area and functional plans created by the State or local government. A library of planning-related literature and research materials also is maintained, and research services are provided to the public, Department staff, and local governments.
Planning Services oversees three divisions: Environmental Planning; Infrastructure Planning; and Local Planning.
Infrastructure Planning oversees: Planning Implementation; Public School Construction; Transportation; and Water and Sewer.
Local Planning helps local governments improve their planning and management, develop long-range comprehensive plans, and implement programs for economic growth and resource protection. The Section provides technical services mandated by State laws, such as the Economic Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Act and the Chesapeake Bay Critical Areas Act.
To help counties and municipalities comply with the requirements of the State Economic Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Act, the Section prepares technical models and guidelines. It administers technical assistance grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission for studies that ensure compliance with the Act and help communities realize economic development opportunities and meet objectives. To manage growth and solve problems, it offers education and outreach programs. Circuit rider staff assists Eastern Shore municipalities in implementing Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Protection programs. The Section consults with, guides, and advises county and municipal staff, citizen planning commissions, and elected officials through its four regional offices at Annapolis, Centreville, Cumberland, and Salisbury.
Strategic Development oversees the State Clearinghouse for Intergovernmental Assistance, and Planning Data Services.
The Clearinghouse facilitates intergovernmental review and coordination of applications for financial assistance, direct federal development programs, draft environmental impact statements, nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, and certain specified applications for State assistance.
As the State's single point of contact for federal agencies, the Clearinghouse disseminates notices and announcements of proposed federal and some State actions. The Clearinghouse also transmits the views of Maryland State, regional and local public officials to federal agencies; facilitates resolution of disputes; and formulates a single recommended course of action. Additionally, recommendations regarding the disposition of State excess and federal surplus real property are made by the Clearinghouse.
In the weekly Intergovernmental Monitor, the Clearinghouse announces proposed federal and State actions. In the Catalog of State Assistance Programs, it reports on federal financial assistance awards, and maintains an inventory of State-owned real property and federal real property in Maryland. (Code State Finance and Procurement Article, sec. 5-509).
CLEARINGHOUSE & PLAN REVIEW SECTION
The Section has two primary components: the State Clearinghouse for Intergovernmental Assistance; and the local plan assessment and advice program.
Statistical data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and other information sources are maintained by Planning Data Services. Such data relates to population, housing, employment, income, and education. A computerized system of the office also geographically references data on the physical and cultural attributes of the State.
Planning Data Services helps maintain the State's 2,800 automated property maps and their linkage via x,y reference points to the two-million parcel database of the State Department of Assessments and Taxation. This information is accessible to government agencies and the public on CD-ROM as MdProperty View for use with off-the-shelf viewing software and standard personal computers. MdProperty View quickly retrieves map and attribute information on individual or multiple properties, including ownership, acreage, type, size, value, and improvements.
Five units are overseen by Planning Data Services: Geographic Information Systems; the Property Mapping Section; Redistricting and Reapportionment; Research and the State Data Center; and Systems Support.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
PROPERTY MAPPING SECTION
REDISTRICTING & REAPPORTIONMENT
RESEARCH & STATE DATA CENTER
SYSTEMS SUPPORT
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PATUXENT RIVER COMMISSION
Created in 1980, the Patuxent River Commission reviews the operation of State and local agencies in regard to the Patuxent River (Chapter 746, Acts of 1980). It provides a clearinghouse for watershed information, reviews plans, and comments on reports and development projects impacting the river. The Commission prepares the Patuxent River Policy Plan and, every five years, considers draft amendments to update it. The original Patuxent River Policy Plan was adopted in 1984 as a policy guide for the Commission, State agencies, and local governments in carrying out programs in the Patuxent River watershed. In 1997, to update the Plan, the Commission adopted an addendum. Effective October 24, 2000, all local governments represented on the Commission adopted the 1997 addendum, which the General Assembly endorsed in 2001 (Joint Resolution no. 10, Acts of 2001).
ADMINISTRATION
Within the Department, Administration provides functions essential to Departmental operations. These include accounting, management information services, personnel, and procurement and inventory. In addition, Administration gives planning and technical assistance to the Interagency Committee on School Construction.
COMMUNICATIONS & INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Initiated in March 2003, Communications and Intergovernmental Affairs directs the Department's legislative agenda, provides information to the public, and produces all Department publications.
PLANNING RESEARCH SERVICES
301 West Preston St.
Baltimore, MD 21201-2365
PLANNING SERVICES
Planning Services formed from State and Local Planning in March 2003. It provides technical assistance, local program review, and planning design services to Maryland counties and municipalities.
ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
Environmental Planning originated as Comprehensive Planning, became Planning Coordination and Resource Management in 1997, and received its present name in March 2003. It develops and promotes policies to support sustainable communities, neighborhood conservation, land preservation, and natural resources protection. Special attention is accorded to land use and growth, agriculture and forest preservation, restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay, open space and recreation planning, and implementation of the Patuxent River Policy Plan. This division provides technical support for the Patuxent River Commission.
INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING
Organized in March 2003, Infrastructure Planning provides research and technical assistance for transportation, water and sewer, and public school construction planning statewide. Projections and modeling are used to anticipate Maryland's future needs and analyze current proposals.
LOCAL PLANNING
Local Planning began in 1989 as Local Planning Assistance, became Planning Assistance and Review in 1994, Planning Assistance and Neighborhood Development in 1997, and received its current name in March 2003. This office is responsible for Planning Design, Technical Assistance, and four regional offices.
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT
Created in March 2003, Strategic Development devises research tools and resources to assist in planning. Information on demographic, socio-economic, political, cultural, geographic and land use trends in Maryland is collected, analyzed, and disseminated in tabular, chart, and customized map formats. With computer mapping and geographic information systems, Strategic Development supports map display and analysis of census data, satellite imagery, aerial photography, land use and parcel data to enhance and assist growth management and land use planning across the State.
STATE CLEARINGHOUSE FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL ASSISTANCE
In 1969, the State Clearinghouse for Intergovernmental Assistance organized in accordance with the federal Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968. Formerly within the Department of State Planning, the Clearinghouse transferred to the Office of Planning in 1989 (Chapter 540, Acts of 1989). In 2000, it became part of the Department of Planning.
The Clearinghouse and Plan Review Section began as Plan and Project Review in 1994. It adopted its current name in 1997. The Section checks county and municipal comprehensive plans for compliance with the Planning Act of 1992 (Chapter 437, Acts of 1992) and reviews water and sewer plans, and municipal annexation proposals for consistency with State and local planning policies.
PLANNING DATA SERVICES
Planning Data Services collects, analyzes, and publishes socio-economic, cultural, geographic, parcel and land use information for planning purposes. This office provides a database for use by State and local government agencies, and the general public. For each county and the City of Baltimore, projections of population, housing, public school enrollment, employment, and income are prepared. They are used by State and local government agencies, as well as the private sector.
Geographic Information Systems formed in 1989 to provide technical assistance to State and local governments in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Assistance relates to socio-economic information, as well as natural resources and land use. This unit maintains an up-to-date electronic base map of roads and related features with street names, address ranges, and point locations of every property in the State.
The responsibility for preparing electronic property maps transferred from the State Department of Assessments and Taxation to the Office of Planning (now Department of Planning) in October 1996. The Property Mapping Section assumed this function in 1997. The Section updates property maps and prepares them for MdProperty View. From the Section, paper copies of property maps also are available to the public.
Redistricting and Reapportionment compiles U.S. census data and election data to create and prepare precinct and legislative maps. From this section, maps are made available to the public.
The Research and State Data Center organized in 1980. It provides for the development of databases to assist in planning for the overall growth and development of the State. The Center provides information from decennial censuses and is concerned with historical and projected data on population, housing, employment, personal income, business establishments, parcels, and school enrollment. The Center works to improve access to and use of statistical data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, and other federal and State sources.
Created in 1989, Systems Support provides in-depth hardware, software, Internet, imaging and database management support. The unit typically provides specialized microcomputer, mainframe and networking skills to support projects such as the development of a World Wide Web connection to distribute census information and socio-economic projections via the Internet. File transfer support services also are provided. Systems Support provides leadership for the Data Standards Subcommittee of the Maryland State Government Geographic Information Coordinating Committee and data aggregations and analysis for a variety of projects.
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